


The Keeper

by WingedLadyColette



Category: Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Aliens, F/M, mixed continuity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-10-17 12:52:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10594404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingedLadyColette/pseuds/WingedLadyColette
Summary: "In the dawn of the new day, the Keeper of Earth shall awaken and take back control of the power vacuum that has been shaking our world." In the League's quest to search for this mysterious weapon, a new girl arrives in town with a connection to one of the members, and the key to finding this weapon.





	1. New Girl

I force myself not to look at my watch for the hundredth time since I was forced to crawl out of my taxi halfway to my destination due to backed up traffic. I am late. But I would have been later, had I stayed in the car. I wouldn't be sweaty or gross, though. I glance down at my phone while waiting for the light to turn green so that I can cross over to the next street. I have a missed call. I redial.

As soon as the phone is picked up I'm immediately talking, "I am so sorry Lois! I know that I'm running late but I was caught in traffic. I swear I'm just down the street."

A laugh. "Relax," Lois says. I can hear the grin in her voice. "I figured you'd be late. You haven't been in Metropolis long enough to properly judge the time just yet. No hurt feelings. Just get here when you can. No rush. By the way, since I have you on the phone, you don't mind if I have a friend come to coffee with us, do you?" There is the sound of someone talking in the background. "Shh, Smallville, I told you it'll be fine," she says away from the phone, then to me. "You don't mind, right?"

"Of course not," I say, fast walking across the street once the light of the person walking lit up. "I don't mind. The more the merrier, right? I should be there in like, five minutes!"

Lois laughs. "Are you sure?" She sounds really amused.

I look around for a moment, wondering if I was going the right way. "Um, maybe ten minutes."

She laughs again. "That's what I thought. I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Lois."

"Bye."

I was close. It took me about fifteen minutes to finally get to the coffee shop that Lois asked me out to the night before after I hung up the phone with her. I felt bad for being late. Thankfully the shop was small, sparsely occupied but very homey. A bell chimed as I walked in and I spotted Lois immediately, throwing her head back in a gleeful laugh in the corner of the store, sitting across from a man.

His eyes flicker up toward me when I walked in. He says something to Lois and she spins around in her chair, eyes finding me immediately. She smiles brightly and waves me to them. I make my way over to them, sitting down in the only other available seat between them.

"This is my friend from work," Lois says, gesturing toward the tall, dark haired man with shocking electric blue eyes. "Smallville."

He studied me curiously and I had to look away. He was a very attractive man. Square jaw, strong nose but kind smile. His eyes flicker over to Lois for a moment, playfully amused before holding his hand out for me to take. "That's what Lois calls me. I'm Clark Kent."

I place my hand in his. My hand feels tiny in comparison. Like a child's hand wrapped up in a full grown adult's. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Samantha Kennedy." I smile.

"Sorry for imposing on you two. I was just stopping by to pick up some coffee and was stiff armed into staying. I can leave if I'm in the way," Clark says slowly, sounding completely sincere in leaving if he was really in the way. Lois rolls his eyes, giving me the impression that he's like that naturally. I immediately like him.

"You're fine," I tell him, meaning it. Clark smiles more at that. "So, you and Lois are friends?"

Lois nods. "Yeah, we go way back, ain't that right, Smallville?"

Clark shakes his head, smiling charmingly. "I wouldn't use the words "way back" but yes. We've known each other for a long time." With his smile still in place, his blue eyes scan the room for a moment, as if looking for something. He doesn't give away if he found what he was looking for or not, but succeeded in making me feel a bit paranoid, like there was something behind me.

"So, Clark," I say slowly, running my hands up and down my arms, wishing I had decided to wear something more than a three quarter sleeve shirt and a ripped pair of jeans, "do you work at the Daily Planet with Lois?"

His eyes lock onto me but his smile doesn't leave his face. "Yeah, we're co-workers but we met before we started working together."

I raise my eyebrows in interest. "Really? That must be fun, working with a friend."

Clark and Lois both smile at each other, the years together showing in their expressions. It's Lois that responds, "It has it's perks, I suppose." She winks at Clark who smiles back, shaking his head slowly. He takes a moment to sip of his coffee, leisurely.

I take this moment to stand up and get myself a drink as well. As I'm up there, looking through their selection, Clark calls out, "What about yourself, Samantha? How do you and Lois know each other, if you don't mind me asking." I quickly order something that sounds good before looking back over at Clark and Lois.

Lois makes an amused noise in her throat, lifting her cup to her lips, looking at me with sparkling green eyes, obviously amused. I stare at her for a moment, sucking in a deep breath before the woman behind the counter, the only other person in the store besides myself, Lois and Clark, to get my iced drink.

I bring my coffee back over to the table and sit down, taking a quick sip before answering, "Lois interviewed me a few months ago for an article that she was writing for the Planet, and we've kept in touch since. Although that was when I was living pretty far from here. I just recently moved down here about a week ago, for my job and Lois has been helping me out. She's a real saint."

Lois smiles around the rim of her cup, obviously pleased by my choice of description. Clark glances over at her, amused, before laying his own cup down and leaning back in his chair, blue eyes returning to my face. "What do you do for a living, Samantha?"

I sip at my iced coffee, shivering a bit. The air conditioning is up pretty high in this place. But their coffee is good. I'll definitely come back here again. I put my coffee down and run my hands up and down my arms in an effort to sooth my tingling flesh. "Um, I study people for a living. Psychology, really. The human brain mostly. I was writing a piece about the human mind in accordance to..." I falter, seeing Clark and Lois, blankly staring at me. They were politely listening but I've been around enough people to know that this isn't usually interesting.

"Is something wrong?" Clark asks, black eyebrows raised.

"No," I say quickly. "Sorry about that. Um, what I was saying, basically, the paper I was writing was getting a lot of attention in my field and Lois was the one that interviewed me about it."

"That's interesting," Clark says and I wonder how much he means it. I can already tell he's a very kind man, very placating, I see, so I have to wonder how genuine he really is about it being interesting. I just highly doubt he would say anything rude or off-putting if he could help it. He was calm and relaxed, but he was careful with his words and actions, as if always calculating other people's reactions. But there was also something about him that was also... naïve. Almost like he was experiencing a lot of things so new to him. It was strange.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

Lois's phone beeps, pulling our attention over to her. She pulls out her phone and clicks a few buttons, eyes scanning the screen before putting her phone back into her purse and crossing her legs. At Clark's inquisitive look, she smiles and shakes her head. "It's nothing. Just an email. So, Sammy, lets talk about how you're adjusting to Metropolis."

I move my cup back and forth from one hand to the other, sliding across the table. "I'm good. Still unpacking, trying to find my way around everywhere. It's a lot different than the little town I lived in before. There is a lot of people and noise and..." I didn't know how to explain it. I just wave my hands around, hoping that they understood.

"I get that," Clark says, genuinely. "Smallville was, well, small. It's... um, quite something trying to acclimate to Metropolis, but it'll be alright. I'm certain you'll be just fine. If you need any help, we will be here to help, right Lois?"

Lois looks pleased. "We sure will be, Smallville." Her eyes flicker over to me and I knew the bad feeling I've been trying to ignore since I got here should have been headed. "So, Sam, would you mind if I bailed a little early? I have a big story coming up and Smallville is almost as helpful as I am when it comes to the sights to see and the places to be around Metropolis. We will definitely be able to catch dinner next time, right?"

I glance over at Clark, who appeared to have come to the same conclusion as I did. His tongue presses against his cheek, pushing it out. It gives me the impression that Lois does things like this more often than not. Clark doesn't appear to be overly upset, but I can tell this has happened to him many times, so he's become used to it. Which doesn't bode well for me.

I like Clark. I mean, I haven't known him long, nor do I know him well, but I would like the chance to at least become friends before I lose the chance forever because of my horrible personality and many flaws. I don't need Lois to ruin relationships for me, I can do that perfectly fine on my own. Thank you very much. I appreciate it though.

Lois takes a moment to look around at the two of us, curiously, probably looking for one of us to tell her that it wasn't okay but I wasn't going to be the one to do it. I think it's a bit rude, giving the impression that I didn't want to be left alone with Clark even though I'm almost positive that he's a good person. I don't want him to be given the impression that I wouldn't want to be alone with him.

Not that I wouldn't want to be alone with him. I just... shit.

Clark didn't say anything either, just stare at Lois with a look that I didn't understand but she obviously did. Lois grins, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth, before she jumps up, giving both of us a wink and flying out the door with a sultry, "Play nice now, kids," before she's gone.

There is a painfully awkward silence that settles over us, broken only by the scratching of Clark's coffee mug sliding back and forth across the surface of the table going from one hand tot he other. I watch the movement for almost an entire minute before raising my eyes to Clark's unbelievably pretty blue eyes and awkwardly saying, "I think she had an ulterior motive inviting me here."

Clark, thankfully, let out a little laugh, his smile relieved. "Perhaps. But to be honest, it was just a coincidence that I ended up being here. I think she did have the intension of spending the day with you but when I ended up coming too..." he trails off.

"She couldn't help herself," I finish for him. He nods and does a little shrug. His smile is boyish and charming.

"Yeah," he says. "Lois just... likes to be in charge. She likes to be the reason that something happens, regardless of what it is." He smiles more apologetically now. "I'm sorry about her."

I shake my head. "Don't worry," I say softly, sloshing my drink around a bit without spilling. "I mean, yeah, this is a little awkward. But I can appreciate the fact that she's trying to help me. Maybe not so much in my love life, or lack thereof, but in the friend department. This... it doesn't have to be weird, right?"

Clark shakes his head. "No," he says easily. "We can definitely be friends."

I smiles at him. "Great. Well then, friend," I say playfully, hoping it's covering up my embarrassment. Clark smiles more, showing me he knows what I'm doing but thankfully doesn't appear like he's going to call me out on it, which helps me relax a bit. I didn't continue my sentence, though. I really didn't know what else to say. I hate Lois. Why did I think this was a good idea?

Clark must have picked up that I was at a loss of words, for he quickly asks, "So, did the article get published? About you, I mean. I usually read Lois's articles but I don't remember seeing one about you. Uh, sorry."

I wave my hand around dismissively. "It's fine. My work is kind of complex, and not in the sense that little minds wouldn't be able to understand, with proper knowledge of the basics it's easy to pick up on, but it's kind of hard for an average person with no idea about the workings of the normal human mind to comprehend and I suppose your editor didn't think it would flow well in the news."

Clark looks genuinely apologetic for me. "I'm sorry."

I shrug. "It's fine. Jokes on you guys, I won that award." Clark barks out a surprised laugh that I couldn't help but also join in on. I take a sip of my drink, trying not to make my interest in Clark too apparent.

"I guess we'll just have slap our wrists at our next meeting for the slip up," Clark laughs, showing off two rows of pure white teeth, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I suppose I wasn't expecting that."

I'm not sure what I said that was so funny, but I'm glad I said it. I like Clark's laugh. It's nice. Pure, in a way.

We spent the better part of the next two hours just sitting there and talking about anything and everything. Clark told me a bit about himself. Mostly he talked about Smallville. He told me about how he was raised there with his adoptive parents and about his two best friends throughout his schooling and about the passing of his father. In that, we were able to connect.

"I lost my parents when I was six years old," I tell him. Clark's blue eyes lock onto me and appear genuinely sad for me.

Instead of apologizing, which would do nothing for me, apologies wouldn't bring them back, he just asked, "How?"

"Car accident," I say, then shrug. "I was so young, I don't remember much about that day. All I remember was waking up on the side of the road. I had been thrown from the car."

Clark's eyes widen. "You were in the car at the time?"

I nod. "I don't remember my life at all before the accident, I don't remember my parents, but I do remember their funeral. As morbid as that is. But I'm lucky, in a way. I don't remember them at all, and while I wish I could have come to know them, I'm also a little lucky that I don't really feel that loss like my older brother and sister do."

Clark takes a moment to look around the coffee house, watching a few other customers come in and sit down next to the door. He brings his eyes back over to me and asks, "How old are your siblings?"

"My brother was twelve at the time and my sister was fourteen," I run my fingers through my hair. "Sorry, that was a little heavy."

Clark shakes his head. "No, I brought it up first. But, may I ask how old you are now?"

"Mr. Kent, don't you know how rude it is to ask a lady her age?" I joke.

Clark must not have realized this at first because he looks mildly alarmed, before I wink at him and he relaxes a bit again. "Jeez, you scared me there for a second. I thought I insulted you."

I wave his worry away. "I'm just messing with you. To answer your question, I'm just about to turn twenty-four."

"Really?" He sounds impressed. "And you already won an award in the psychology field?"

I laugh. "Yeah. I skipped a bunch of grades in school and went to college young and graduated that early too. You could call me a mild protégé. At least, that's what my professors called me."

Clark raises an eyebrow. "You don't think so?"

I shrug my shoulders, playing with my now empty coffee cup for a moment before forcing myself to leave it alone and look back up at Clark. "Not especially. I'm not very socially..." I wave my hand around, trying to find the words. "I'm not good at interacting with people and spent all of my free time studying and learning about all kids of things and I guess I just picked things up quickly enough that it fooled people into thinking that I was overly intelligent when in reality I was just awfully bad at interacting with people."

Clark tilts his head to the side. "I don't know about that. You don't strike me as the type of person incapable of interacting with others, you've been doing just fine with me."

"You're different," I say immediately, without thinking and flush deeply in embarrassment. How does my foot always find it's way to my mouth so easily? "And at the same time, you're not."

Clark smiles a bit. "I think you're just fine."

I look away, smiling a bit. "Thank you."

We manage to talk for about ten more minutes before there was a beeping noise. It pulled Clark's attention away from our conversation to his phone after a polite, "Excuse me," before turning away. I pull out my phone to give him a bit more privacy and play around on the apps while he speaks in low, quiet tones before finally hanging up and smiling apologetically.

"I've got to head out now," Clark says, standing up quickly. "I'm really sorry about this."

I stand up too. "No, you're fine. Thanks for spending some time with me. It's nice to start meeting some friendly people around here. Thanks for everything."

Clark shakes his head. "No problem, here," he pauses a moment to write down his number on a napkin. "If you ever need anything or just want to hang out, give me a call." He flashes me another charming smile before flying out of the coffee shop like his ass was on fire. His business must have been real important. After a moment of hesitation, I pick up the napkin, put the number in my phone before crumpling it up and throwing it away.

I step out of the building and look around, lost. I take a moment to pull my phone back out and bring up google maps and put in my address. As soon as I turn to start heading toward my home, I heard a whooshing sound above me. I look up just in time to see a red and blue blur flying overhead and disappearing into the clouds.

 

Clark became a great new friend. We met up again a few days later and he showed me around Metropolis. We went to a museum and I read every plaque in the building, even sprouting bits of my own knowledge on subjects to Clark. Thankfully, he let me ramble on and on without complaint and even took me out again a few days later to the aquarium. There I sprouted more of my knowledge about the fish. Still he did not complain.

He's super adorable.

We went out to dinner the other night and had Lois come along with us. It was fun to see Lois again and she was obvious in her excitement over Clark and I bonding, believing it was entirely her power that brought us together. While I figure Clark's and my own genuine interest in one another probably had a good bit to do with it, I was still thankful to her for giving me a new friend. Even if Clark and I never became more than that, it was still nice of Lois to bring us together at least as friends. So, I'll let her have her moment.

Clark seems to have been thinking the same thing. He looks over at me and smiles softly, giving me a little shrug. About half way through the dinner, Lois came up with an amazing idea that we should start having a game night. As soon as she suggested it, her entire face lit up, she was banging her hand on the table, pulling the attention of the people sitting around us.

"Perfect!" Lois laughs. "I've been wanting to do something for a while! Oh, we can invite Trevor from work too - oh," she pauses, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "He's kind of a tool." She squints up at the ceiling for a moment. "Hm... maybe... oh! Maybe we can invite Jimmy! Clark, you and Jimmy are friends, right?"

Clark nods. "I like him. And remember, he wants to be called James now."

Lois waves her hands around dismissively. "Yeah, sure, whatever. So what do you think? Good idea, right? I mean, it'll be fun." She smiles brightly at Clark.

He nods. "Sure, sounds like a good idea, but we won't have James for much longer. He's moving, remember?"

Lois's shoulders droop a bit. "Oh, you're right." She squints at the light over their table for a moment, in thought, before she looks back over at Clark. "He's going to National City, right? I remember Lucy saying something about that before. Man, she was upset." Lois lets out a small chuckle and shakes her head slowly.

"Wait, who's Lucy?" I ask.

"Lois's sister," Clark tells me.

"Ah," I say, nodding, then looking over at Lois. "And why is she upset about that?"

Lois waves her hand around. "My sister is a little... abrasive or... maybe presumptuous. She thinks that Jimmy cares more about Superman than her and just couldn't take it any more. She dumped him before he could dump her. But it's obvious that she still loves him. She won't stop talking about him. Although my dad couldn't be happier about him no longer being in the picture." She shakes her head again.

"General Lane doesn't think anyone is good enough for his daughters," Clark says, giving Lois a knowing look. Lois purses her lips.

"True," she admits, "but unlike me. Lucy is still naïve enough to bring her boyfriends around dad. I tell him as little about my life as humanly possible and if he figures anything out, I feign shock."

I laugh. "That's horrible, Lois. You should just be nicer to both your father and your sister."

Lois rolls her eyes. "I'm nice. I swear. I just don't like people digging around in my business like that. No matter how many times I tell Lucy not to tell dad about her boyfriends, she does, and then complains to me about how dad was being so unfair about what he says in regards to her boyfriends. And well, dad doesn't believe Lucy nor myself are capable of judging if someone is good enough for us or not." Her right elbow is propped up on the table and she rests her chin on her fist. "It drives me crazy."

I lean back in my chair, throwing my head back and quickly pulling my long black hair up into a high ponytail before leaning forward again. "I'm sorry about that, Lois. I kind of know what that's like. Except with my older sister. She's certain nothing short of the moon and stars is good enough for me. No one I date, or talk to, is ultimately good enough. You'd think I was some kind of rare, one-of-a-kind china doll."

Lois and I take a moment to look at each other and feel that similarity between us before looking toward the last member of our little group. Clark raises a dark eyebrow, looking sheepish. "My mom always told me to go with my gut. I knew what - and who - would ultimately be best for me." His smiles is charming but also sheepish.

"Boo," Lois and I say at once, shaking our heads and giving him the thumbs down. Clark rubs the back of his head.

"Sorry," he says.

I giggle, waving his apology away, even if it was playful. "We are just playing with you."

"I wasn't," Lois says teasingly. Then she reaches out and pats Clark's arm, to show she was kidding, in case he couldn't already tell. We take a few minutes to eat our food in silence. Naturally, it's Lois who breaks the silence around us. "So, how are the two of you? Becoming friends?" The way she said friends, gave me the obvious impression that 'friend' wasn't the word she was trying to use.

"Lois," Clark sighs. As he goes into the explanation about how we were just friends but that we were hanging out and to not read into something that wasn't there - then quickly apologized to me, hoping that his words didn't offend me, and they didn't - before answering all of Lois's questions with the truth. Strangely, though, he wasn't offering up any other information other than what she asked about.

While that was happening, I had to pull out my little mirror from in my purse to look at the contact in my right eye. It was irritating me and sliding around on my eye. It wasn't off center, thankfully enough, but it was bothering me. The last thing I'd want to do is show Lois and Clark my strange eye. It's bad enough that I'm not all that good with people. If they saw my deformity, they might think I was a monster.

They wouldn't be the first ones to think so.


	2. Time Out

"So, Samantha, what prompted you move to Metropolis?" Clark asks.

I glance up at him in confusion for a moment before slipping my mirror back into my purse and straightening up. "Oh? You mean, why did I move in the first place?"

Clark shrugs. "Sure. Why did you move and why here of all places?" He gives a little laugh. "I guess that was a two pronged question that I somehow morphed into one question." Lois rolls her eyes, but says nothing, as she turns to look at me, waiting for me to respond.

I shrug my shoulders. "It's nothing special really. I have family that lives close by. And there was just... a lot of crazy stuff going on back home that I had to get away from. For my sake, I think."

I said the wrong word, I knew it the moment they left my lips because Lois's eyes lit up and she leaned in close. "Crazy stuff? Like what? Nothing as crazy as our residential super goodies and badies, right?"

I wave my hand around. "Oh no, nothing like Superman or any of the bad guys that Metropolis sees, but some personal issues between me and a guy I knew. Or, thought I knew."

Lois raises an eyebrow, her interest not fading just yet. She nods slowly, eyes wide. "Uh huh. I'm sensing a story from this."

Clark looks between the two of us, eyebrows pulled together. "Um, Lois? I don't think we should stiff arm her into tell us. It was just honest curiosity, not the start of an interrogation."

Lois glances over at him, then to me. "You know you don't have to tell us, right?"

"Well... I'm-" I start but she cuts me off.

"Good, then you want to tell me right? Otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up," Lois says wisely. "You would have just said it was issues back home, or for no reason entirely, but you didn't. So spill, I know you want to." She smirks. "I can read you like an open book."

I make a wide-eyed face at that. "Maybe you should have my job."

She winks at me. "Maybe I should, but I like my job better." She laughs. "Now, no more dancing around my question. Spill."

I run my fingers through my dark hair, working out some of the tangles out before dropping my hands down onto my lap. "Um, I had a boyfriend right before I moved down here. He was wonderful. We got along great and had lots of fun together. Everything was fine and after a year and a half of dating, we moved in together."

Lois wiggles her eyebrows. "Scandalous!"

Heat rushes to my face and my eyes, against my will, flicker over to Clark, to see him interested as well. Is it a stupid time to notice that he has mile-long dark lashes that surround icy blue eyes. But he also looks like he's ready to tell Lois to back off if I asked him too. Which is super sweet of him. He just keeps getting cuter and cuter in my eyes.

"Not so," I say, pulling my eyes back over to Lois. "I thought we were in love."

Lois shifts slightly. "And you weren't?"

I shrug. "Everything was fine for a while. I mean, we were inseparable, even though we moved in together. It was really nice. Until I began to realize that I was neglecting my friends and family. Not that he was keeping me away from them, it was just my sister didn't like him and wanted nothing to do with him and my brother was the kind of guy that would just kind of keep nodding at gatherings until it was over. He didn't interact with people well, almost as well as me," I laugh, then frown when Lois raises her eyebrow, not understanding the humor.

"Never mind," I mumbled. "So, I put a bit of space between myself and him, which he said he was fine with, and spent time with friends and family. I thought that everything was okay. I didn't know to suspect anything was weird." I shake my head, running my hand through my hair.

Lois shifts a bit closer. "But something weird was happening?"

I nod, putting my elbow on the table and resting my cheek against it. "I started noticing something I didn't notice before." I glance over at Clark. "He was everywhere I went. Not as in it felt like he was everywhere, he literally was. I notice him one time, and then another, and then another until every time I left the house, whether I told him specifically where I was going or not, I would see him. Outside of friend's house, in the bar we were hanging out in, things like that."

Lois shakes her head. "Seriously?"

"That is strange," Clark admits. "But are you sure it was like that?"

I nod. "Yeah. At first I thought it was because he was insecure and just wanted to make sure I was where I said I was and not doing something shady or cheating on him or anything like that, but then I began to notice something even more weird."

"Weirder than your boyfriend following you everywhere?" Lois says incredulously, shaking her head.

I lean in closer, lowering my voice. Clark and Lois do the same, making me feel like on of their contacts on a drug cartel or something top secret like that. It made me smile a bit, but the smile didn't last long, for there was a bit a bit in my story.

"I get up at night sometimes, you know, like everyone else in the world," I say, looking between the two. "I would get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water and when I leave bed, he'd be asleep, but as soon as I left the room he would be awake. He would standing outside the bathroom or on the other side of the fridge door to scare the hell out of me when I close it. Things like that."

Lois shivers, as if she got a cold chill and Clark frown at that.

"Freaky," Clark mutters. Lois nods.

I shrug. "Yeah, and while that could be explained away too, I suppose."

"No, it can't," Lois mutters.

"Sometimes..." I shiver, running my hands up and down my arms. "Sometimes I would awaken from a dead sleep..."

"Oh no," Lois says, eyes wide. "Don't say it."

I glance over at her. "I didn't know what woke me up at first."

"Oh, please don't."

"And then I would feel his eyes on me. He would be watching me while I slept," I tell her, and then look over at Clark to see his eyes narrowed, staring down at our forgotten food, but not really looking at it.

"Oh, shit you did!" Lois says, rather loudly, leaning back in her seat. People glance over at her, but Lois has the stunning ability to ignore everything she doesn't care to see. Unlike me, everything sticks to me forever. Lois runs her hands through her hair before leaning forward again. "So he was full on stalking you? Even in your own house? That's crazy! No wonder you high-tailed it out of there."

She shakes her head, taking a sip of her wine.

"Yeah," I twirl a strand of my hair around my finger, "so I changed my number, made all my media cites private and closed my email accounts then, without telling anyone other than my family, I moved to a new town. Gotham, originally since I had family that lived there, but I couldn't find an apartment there that I could afford, and so the next closest place was here. I remembered that Lois lived here so I called her up and we reconnected. And that is my crazy story."

Lois shakes her head, staring at me. "That is absolutely crazy. What a story."

Clark leans back in his chair, bringing his fingers up to his lips to rub the pads of his fingers across those tantalizing lips of his. He seems deep in thought. He's staring at the other side of the room with unseeing eyes.

"Damn," Lois says, taking a swig of her wine, drowning the rest of the glass before setting it down. "Hey, you'll let me know if that creep comes around, right? Crazy people like that don't just give up."

I stare at her, horrified. I never thought for a moment that craziness wasn't over.

Clark zoned back in just in time to hear Lois and see my reaction. He turns his light blue eyes over to Lois and widens them. "Lois? Seriously?"

Lois holds up her hands. "I'm sorry!" She says, sounding anything but that. "I just thought that she should be aware of the situation. Wackos like the one she described don't just give up. Oh! Sammy," she turns toward me, smiling brightly. "I'll teach you some moves. Give that creep what's coming to him, if he gets any wrong ideas." She winks at me,

I shake my head. "No way. I'll leave the fighting to the Justice League, thanks."

Lois rolls her eyes. "Yeah, they're great and all, but they can't do everything. You have to learn how to defend yourself too! Just because they are actual superheros doesn't mean that you shouldn't be able to defend yourself! There is a lot of creeps out there that won't wait for the Justice League to come flying in to save the day before they do something really dangerous." She crosses her arms over her chest.

Clark stares at her for a moment before looking back over at me and nodding. "She's not wrong, Samantha. You should always be able to protect yourself, but never go looking for trouble," Clark says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Clark's eyes scan the room again, still giving me that weird feeling like I'm being watched. Another chill crawls down my spine.

Clark doesn't seem to notice. "Knowing how to defend yourself doesn't mean going out and look for trouble to solve. Like Lois does," Clark says, looking over at the brunette next to him. She shrugs nonchalantly, like her acts of vigilante heroism wasn't anything to get all upset about. Clark rolls those pretty blue eyes. "My point is, when trouble finds you, it's best to be able to protect yourself and get out of the situation, but you shouldn't go out of your way to get wrapped up in trouble and then let it escalate into something uncontrollable. That's reckless."

Lois tuts, cracking her neck a bit before rolling her shoulders back. "Smallville may have a point, so long as you know how to handle yourself." She shrugs.

Clark sighs. "That's not what I'm saying, Lois. You worry me, sometimes."

Lois grins at him. "I'm a reporter! We are suppose to do what it takes to get the story, Smallville! Live a little!" She laughs, slapping Clark's shoulder and grinning even broader when he sighs again.

"My point is," Clark says, bringing his pretty blue back over to me, "learn to defend yourself, but don't go looking for trouble."

"Yeah, don't pull a Batman!" Lois laughs.

Clark blanches at that and I glance over at her. "What do you mean by that?"

Lois shrugs her shoulders. "No reason. It's kind of funny, is all. You've got Superman who flies, shoots heat vision, is super strong, stuff like that. Wonder Woman is strong and can fly. The Flash is strong-ish, and can run really fast. The Martian Manhunter can change shape, fly and comes from Mars! Green Lantern can fly and use the green ring of power to do all kinds of crazy shit. Hawkgirl has wings and an electrified mace. And then there's Batman!" Lois laughs.

I hadn't thought about it like that. "Sure, Batman doesn't have super powers like the others do, but I'm sure he's just as much a hero as the rest of them. I mean, he protected Gotham easy enough before the League was formed." Clark looks uncomfortable with this line of discussion. I look from him to Lois. "Um, maybe we shouldn't talk about this..."

Lois waves her hand around dismissively. "Don't worry about Smallville, Sam, he usually gets that constipated look on his face whenever I talk about the Justice League, which is surprising. He's cool talking about Superman, but not any of the others."

"I don't adversely want to talk about anyone," Clark says simply, staring at Lois.

"I'm not talking adversely about anyone!" Lois says simply, waving her hand around.

"Was I just dreaming the last three minutes my life?" Clark asks coyly, staring at her not amused.

I look between them, wondering if they were actually fighting or if this was just part of their banter, that I'm coming to learn is forged from years of knowing each other. Judging by the fact that neither have gotten particularly nasty or even raised their voices really, I've naturally fallen into the habit of reading their body language. Both are relaxed with only tenseness in their shoulders. They were still slightly tilted toward each other, showing that they weren't angry with one another, which means that they aren't angry with each other.

This is just somewhat friendly banter.

Now that I know that this isn't going to break out into a fist fight - which I highly doubt already, since Clark strikes me as the type of person who would more likely bite off his own tongue before striking someone who didn't deserve it, like their shared fiery friend Lois - I can relax again without worry.

After we finished up with dinner, we take a roundabout way to get both Lois and me walked home. Lois offered to just pay for a taxi, but then decided it was that or not pay rent this month and thought that the walk would help prepare her for the one she'll have to do tomorrow to get to work. When I asked her why she was practically broke, she shook her head and muttered something about never listening to someone called Lisa again about a good sushi place. I wonder what that was about but decided that it wasn't something that she would want to talk about.

We got Lois home first, which was surprisingly closer to me than I thought, just a few blocks over. After that, Clark walked me to my apartment, easily able to find it when I give him my address.

We walk in silence for the most part. I find interest in looking around at everything around us other than him. After spilling my creepy story about my ex, I feel a lot closer to Lois and Clark, and even like them both a hell of a lot more, but it feels strange. It's almost like I admitted to this handsome man that I'm some sort of weirdo magnet. The story isn't really embarrassing. I don't think it's really my fault that he was creepy, I was just unlucky. But it's still strange.

In some ways, I hope that he realized his mistake and stopped being like that for the next person, but I don't know. And I honestly don't want to know. I'm naïve, I'll admit it, but I did eventually realize that he was creepy, but that was all he was. Creepy. He didn't hurt me in any way. He just freaked me out a bit, that's all.

Still, it felt nice walking next to Clark. Not only was he genuinely such a nice guy, but he had an air about him. He was tall, a lot taller than me, and he was obviously strong, I could tell by his toned forearms beneath his rolled up dress shirt sleeves. Even though he was a tall man, and obviously strong, there was something delicate about him.

No.

He didn't give me the feeling of being dangerous. Not the air, not the mannerisms, nothing. But there was a better word for it. There was something he made me feel while I was around him.

He made me feel safe. Not because I may or may not have a fledgling crush on him. But he is a very protective force. He went out of his way to walk both Lois and myself home, even though it's getting late and he no doubt has work in the morning as well. He didn't even needed to be asked if we wanted him to walk us home, it came to him naturally.

Now that I think about it, he did mention something about his father passing away when he was a teenager and being raised by his mother. It must have taught him how to properly treat a woman. With someone like Lois as a best friend, I find it hard to believe that those habits were better refined after he moved here to Metropolis.

The more I learn about him, the more I like Clark Kent.

"Thank you for walking me home, Clark," I say, finally speaking to him for the first time since we left Lois's apartment. I step up a few of the stairs before turning around to look at him. Up three steps, I'm almost eye level with him. I stuff my hands into my coat pockets.

Clark smiles. "It's okay. I had a good time with you and Lois tonight."

I nod. "Me too." I smile at him. "Goodnight."

"You too," he says easily. I turn to walk up the stairs but he reaches out and catches my arm before I can fully turn away. When I look back at him, Clark's eyes, dark blue in the dim light are narrowed. "Just because you moved away doesn't mean you shouldn't stop being careful. If you need anything... or feel like something bad is going to happen, just call me, alright? No matter what, I'll come to make sure you're alright. Don't worry about overreacting. It's better to be safe than sorry, okay?"

I nod slowly, not sure what to say to that other than a soft, "Okay..."

Clark's intense look relaxes and he smiles. "Good. Have a good night. I'll text you sometime tomorrow. Maybe we can hang out again."

"Sure," I say and he pulls his hand back. His grip on my arm was light and if I wanted to pull away I could. It was almost like he was barely touching me. He wasn't trapping me in anything, even a grip. I smile at that. "Thank you, Clark. I appreciate it."

Clark nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets too and turns down the street to head on home to his own apartment. I watch him until half way down the street her turns to the right and disappears in the darkness. I turn away and head inside.

 

I rub the towel through my hair as I walk into my bedroom. I fall onto my bed and grab my phone, to see that my sister had called. I hit redial and stare out my window, seeing nothing but darkness and a streetlight down below. I listen to the tone dial for a couple of seconds and then the soft hum of it ringing on my sister's side before she finally answers.

"I called you a half hour ago, Sam," Bailey says as soon as she answers.

I roll my eyes. "I have a life outside of you, my lovely sister. But for your information, if you must know, I was showering a half hour ago."

Bailey huffs, amused. "Very well. Sorry, Sam. You know me. I'm practically insane. I got it. It's just... ever since what happened with Justin, I've been going crazy with worry. I wished that freak didn't make you have to move."

I sigh, running my fingers through my wet hair, tugging at some of the knots, almost yanking a chunk of hair out of my head. I pull my fingers out and decide to wait until it dries before trying to comb through that mess. "Bailey, he didn't force me to move. I moved on my own."

"Only because you didn't feel safe here anymore. How dare he come in from who-knows-where and make you feel unsafe and have to leave your own hometown? God, I hate that guy," Bailey growls.

I roll onto my back and start at my ceiling. "He was creepy, yes, but he wasn't bad. Not really. I just... didn't feel like stay there was what was best for me. Besides, I've been looking for a way to spice up my life for a long time now. Just getting out of a strange relationship is a good reason to finally find that kick I've been looking for."

Bailey groans. "Don't do that, Samantha."

My eyebrows pull together. "Do what?"

"Defend that weirdo. He was a freak and made you run away from home. Don't sugar coat it. Don't make it seem like destiny. Or fate. Or whatever. You dated, he freaked you out enough to make you feel unsafe in your hometown and you had to leave, simple as that. Police are bullshit. I can't believe that they couldn't do anything about that," Bailey grumbles.

I close my eyes. "He didn't do anything wrong. He committed no crimes. What would they arrest him for?"

Bailey sighs. "I don't know, but that freaky shit should be illegal."

"Well it's not," I tell her. "It's well within the lines of the law. No matter how freaky. Even though I was a bit scared, I didn't coherantly feel a threat on my life and I didn't know how to convey anything other than that to a judge or the police. What's done is done. He hasn't tried to contact me since."

"Only because you've dropped off the face of the planet," Bailey says quickly. "Trust me. Freaks like that don't just give up. Thankfully for him he's smart enough to stay the hell away from me and Shawn. I'll shoot him."

"Don't say that," I say, rubbing my eyes.

"I will, though," Bailey mutters.

"Stop, will you? Let's talk about something else. Please?"

Bailey sighs. "Yeah, okay, sure. What's new with you? How's Gotham? Our cousin treating you well?"

I open my eyes. "Oops."

"What?" Bailey asks, suddenly alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just... we haven't talked in a few days I forgot to mention, I'm not living in Gotham. I didn't want to impose on B-"

"You're not in Gotham?" Bailey screeches. I have to pull the phone away from my ear sharply to stop myself from going deaf in that one side. After a moment I silence I tentatively bring it back.

"No," I say slowly. "I'm in Metropolis. It's a little bit closer and it's more my lifestyle and not to mention price range. I have a friend who lives here and we were able to reconnect. I've already made another friend here. It's all good."

Bailey sighs, probably trying to figure out what her emotions are. No doubt she's still angry, annoyed and worried about the situation with Justin. Angry and scared about how I had to move away because of that situation. Annoyed about not being where I said I was originally going to be. And probably unsure of how to think about me already making new friends. No doubt happy for me, but she's always been overprotective of me. Now that she's miles and miles away from me, she can no longer check up on me and the people I associate with.

"Who are your new friends?" She asks delicately, probably deciding that's the best way to broach the topic.

"Ever read the Daily Planet here in Metropolis?"

"You're friends with reporters?" Bailey asks, incredulously. "Is that smart?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Is it dumb?"

Bailey sighs. "Haven't you heard the saying about reporters? They'll sell their first born child for a story! They're blood thirsty! They're-" a sudden pause, then, "shit! You aren't talking about Lois Lane, are you?"

My eyes widen in surprise and I sit up. "Wow, Bailey, how did you know?"

Bailey lets out a wail. "Because, Samantha! I remembered that you were suppose to be in the Daily Planet but those idiots realized that their readers weren't smart enough to grasp the most basic understanding of their own brains and behavior! Whatever. I remember that Lois Lane was the one that came to interview you. She was a little weird."

"Yes," I admit. "But not creepy." I let out a little laugh. "But she means no harm. In fact, if anything, I really like her. She welcomed me with open arms, helped me find an apartment I could afford. Plus she helped me meet a friend of hers from work that I really like. He really is a nice guy."

"Your new friend is a guy?" Bailey asks wearily.

"Yes, Bailey, relax!" I laugh, laying back down on my back. "I'm not trying to jump his bones! Nor is it the other way around!" I flinch at my own words and sigh. "Shit."

"What?" Bailey asks.

"Nothing," I say quickly. "Anyway, my point is, we're just friends. Nothing to worry about. This isn't going to be like with Justin. I'm a lot more aware of myself and those around me. This place is a good place to start over. I like it here. Can't you be happy for me?"

Bailey is quiet for a full minute before sighing loudly. I smile, practically able to see her shoulders slump in defeat despite the distance between us. I force myself not to let out a little laugh, lest she hear it and decide to come all the way out here, pack up my life and bring me back home, regardless of all that is going on back there. She'll lock me up in her basement and keep me there is she could.

"Fine," Bailey finally concedes. "I'll accept that you are wiser now, but that doesn't mean I think that the danger has passed. You attract weirdos, Sammy, you always have. But I will leave you with that. Just... be careful, okay? I'm worried about you."

"I know," I smile, more softly. "I know you worry about me, and I appreciate it. I really do. Just... maybe in moderate, smaller portions. But I know I can't change you, so I will just grit my teeth and bare it. I love you, Bailey. Goodnight."

"I love you too, Sammy. Please be careful," she says slowly. "Goodnight."

After she hung up the phone, I sit up and lay my cell over on my bedside table. I walk around my apartment, turning off all of lights and other miscellaneous appliances that I don't need on, before falling back into my bed and slipping under the covers. Today has been a long day. A fun one, do doubt about that. But a long one.

I've tried hard not to think about Justin since I moved down here. And just talking about it earlier made me think about it more than I would have liked. But, instead of being afraid or nervous like I had been every other time I've thought about him since I finally left him, I feel a little bit better. Safer maybe. Talking about it with Lois and Clark - even though a part of me thought that they would assume I was overreacting or somehow be able to rationalize it whereas I couldn't - they believed me and even offered to help me get through it.

Lois was weird, without a doubt. She's abrasive and somewhat uncouth, but she's also strong and encouraging and overall wonderful. It's no wonder when we first met a little over a year and a half ago that we hit it off so well. I've had friends before. I may be freaky, but I've always had people around me that I was friends with but there was something about Lois. She was just so blindingly easy to get along with.

And Clark... well, I'm finding it hard to even consider not liking him. Something tells me going anywhere near that will be impossible for me. Which might be a good thing.

Clark and Lois feel like a great start for me. They make me feel like I belong. Maybe this was one of the best decisions I could have made. I'm starting to think so.


	3. The Warning

There is a knock at the door.

I pause the video on the television in front of me and jump up from the couch to head to my front door. I rise up onto my tip toes to look through the peep hole. I smile and drop down flat on my feet again. I reach forward, about to open the door when I remember my eye. I quickly look around, suddenly lost within my own apartment.

"Oh, um, be right there!" I yell before spinning around and rushing, as quietly as I can, to my bathroom. I grab my contact and quickly slip it into my eye, blink a few times to make sure it's settled into place before rubbing on deodorant and rushing back to the door and swinging it wide open.

"Clark!" I say, surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I was out running errands when I ran into Lois," Clark says and holds up a bag of take-out. "She told me you haven't left your apartment in a week and needed food. She wanted to come but a big lead on a story just popped up and asked me to help out. Is that okay?"

I nod and step aside, letting him in. "It is. Thank you," I say, trying to calm the large grin on my face. Clark walks past me and into my apartment and it's only then that I'm self conscious of the way I look. Thankfully, I showered earlier this morning, but I was in shorts and a large t-shirt, practically falling off one of my shoulders. My hair is pulled up into a messy bun on the top of my head. I slide the sleeve of my shirt up, hoping that he didn't notice and think I was trying to be something that I'm not. I tug at the bottom of my shorts, like that will magically make them a bit longer, before following him into my little kitchen.

No matter how engrossed into my research I'm in, had I known Clark was the one coming instead of Lois, I definitely would have stopped what I was going to change into clothes that didn't make me look like... well, this. I look like I rolled out of bed ten minutes ago. Probably smelled like it too. But it's too late for that now, I just have to focus on eating, because I'm starved. If my growling stomach is anything to go by.

Clark turns to look at me when I walk into the room after him. We pull out our food and transfer them onto plates before walking into my living room and sitting down on my couch. I put my laptop onto the coffee table in front of me before settling into the couch and stuffing a fry into my mouth and hum.

"Oh man," I moan. "I don't think I've eaten in days. I need to stop doing that." I eat another one.

Clark nods, eating one of his own fries. "I agree. What's up? What are you doing that has you stopping from eating? What's so important?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

I shrug my shoulders. "It's not something that is overly important to anything really, other than me. It's part of my research. Sometimes I just get so..." I wave my hand around, not sure what the proper word is. "I just get obsessed, I guess, and forget to really take care of myself." I shrug my shoulders again. "I don't know. I'm just glad that you're here."

Clark shakes his head. "You get so engrossed in your work that you forget to feed yourself?" His eyes are wide.

I wave my hand around. "Don't make this bigger than it is. Just a day or two or three without food and I'll remember. It's just this time around I forgot I hadn't gone shopping and was pretty weak." I grin at his slightly alarmed look.

"What are you studying?" Clark asks, probably trying to contain his slight horror.

I hesitate, wondering if he was going to think about it. After looking into his honest blue eyes for a moment, I cave, "I'm studying footage of the Justice League."

Clark's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "Oh?" he says slowly, "And what exactly are you studying about them?"

"Behavior, mannerisms, things like that," I tell him, pushing my laptop away from the edge of the coffee table with my foot before tucking it under me. "It's for my thesis. I've been studying them for years and have written more then a five or six in-depth papers on each of them. I just find it so fascinating that people who were born, literally on different planets, could have so many mannerisms and thought processes like humans! It's just too interesting! I mean, how is that even possible? Is it all instinctual? Have they been here long enough to pick up our social norms?" I let out a long-winded sigh, shaking my head. "I just... I have so many questions and so many things I just want to know." I stare at the wall above the television, lost in my thoughts for a moment before I remember that Clark was still sitting next to me. I look back over at him sheepishly. "Me and everyone else in the world, am I right?"

"Yeah, I suppose so," Clark says kindly. "I have some questions myself. Isn't it fascinating? All those different worlds out there? How they all differ from one another?"

"Yes!" I grab one of Clark's wrists, giving it a shake. "It's just - and believe me, I'm sure they are all wonderful people, because, I mean, they are risking their lives trying to protect us - but it's just so interesting to me. What were their worlds like? How come they can all speak our language? How long did it take for them to learn our social norms? Is their reaction to things natural to themselves, or is it how they believe they should act because anything otherwise would be slightly alarming to regular humans?"

Clark lets out a little laugh. "I'm sure there is a bit of culture shock, for both sides. I'm not sure how they all adjusted but it's an interesting thought. I believe that we all have some things to learn about one another."

"Yes!" I laugh, feeling relieved. "People are anxious to know about the Justice League but when it comes to actually knowing them, no one cares to look beyond just being the first to reveal their identity. It's just tiring to think about. What matters is how we can thank them for helping us and better understand them as people rather than just our saviors. I mean, protecting us is a big part of where gratitude should come from, but... they are still people. I mean..." I sigh, shaking my head. "I don't know if I'm saying this right."

"No," Clark shakes his head, "I think I understand."

My shoulders droop in relief. "Really? Oh thank goodness, I was worried you would think I was insane," I let out a little laugh before frowning at my own words. Did that make me sound even more insane than I thought?

Clark smiles kindly, reaching out and patting my shoulder. "I get it. And no, Samantha, I don't think that you're insane. I like the way you see the world." He takes a moment to consider something before looking over at me again. "I think you're fine the way you are, no need to worry about whether I think you're strange or not, trust me, my life is filled with strange and unusual, there is very little you can say or do that would make me think that you were either, besides, even if you were, isn't everyone a little strange and unusual?"

I laugh, bumping his shoulder with mine. "You sound like someone on tumblr."

Clark's eyebrows pull together in mock insult. "I've seen what happens on that website, and no, okay?"

"Okay, okay," I say, waving my hands around dismissively. "Sorry, anyway, thank you for your nice words. I'm glad that I won't at least freak you out with my weirdness." I look around the room for a moment before shaking my head.

 

"Thanks for getting me out of my apartment," I say, looking up at Clark. "I really appreciate it."

Clark shakes his head, rolling his cleaves up to his elbows a bit, showing off toned forearms that I have to look away from before I'm caught oogling at them. "It's no problem," Clark says, easily. "It's been, what? Almost a week since we last spoke at your apartment. Lois told me yesterday that you still hadn't left yet."

"I'm like a hermit," I admit. "Once I'm engrossed in something, the rest of the world falls away."

"And that's fine," Clark says, "in shorter portions. It's not good to be locked away so much and for so long."

I nod slowly, running my fingers along the bottom of my sundress, admiring the summer heat beating down on us. It's such a beautiful day out, I'm glad that Clark chose today to get me out of my apartment. It feels like forever since I last wore a dress, I keep scrunching it up in my fists before smoothing it out and continuing the process. A nervous tic I didn't know I had, maybe?

"At least I ate this time," I offer, pointing at him.

Clark laughs. "Well, we can be thankful for that."

"Hey, Clark, thanks for coming to pick me up," I say, glancing up at him again. "I got the address from Lois, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find it, and I'd feel bad if I showed up late again and even had to make her backtrack to my apartment just to head back past hers to get to this place."

"It's fine. I don't mind," Clark says, simply, and I believe him. "I've been here before, it's a little bit of a hole-in-the-wall, if you don't know how to get there it's easy to get lost."

"So what is this place, exactly?"

"It's... a bar, I suppose?" Clark says slowly. "Or maybe a pub is better. It's got a stage for like open mic nights and a bunch of televisions for football games and such during the seasons. It's got an open bar and it's pretty dark in there, but it's nice. The food is good and there's no smoking allowed."

"Hm," I say, eyebrow raised. "I guess a pub wasn't where I expected Clark Kent would spend his early evenings."

Clark lets out a little chuckle. "Yeah, it usually isn't, but it's not super big or loud. I don't know, I don't go often, but I like it."

"You said something about it not being a smoking area which is unusual. Most pubs I've been to allow it. Do you have something against smoking?" I guess it's not such an uncommon thing and I honestly couldn't imagine Clark being a smoker, still it was a strange to mention off the bat, it had to be important to him.

"I'm not against it," Clark says slowly. "I just... don't like the smell of it. I have a sensitive nose, I suppose. I don't like the smell of cigarette smoke. I don't mind if people smoke but, well, yeah, that's me."

I nod slowly. "Makes sense, I suppose. Oh! There's Lois!" I spot the dirty blond haired young woman standing out on a street corner, her back to us, waiting for the light to signal for her to go. "Lois!" I call out.

She twists her head around for a moment at the sound of her name before turning completely around to see me jumping up and down a bit waving and Clark walking right next to me. Her face breaks out in a smooth smile as she waits for us to get to her. "Hey, Sammy, Smallville. Good, we can walk the rest of the way together. Thanks for picking her up, Smallville, I was worried." She winks at me.

"You have a right to be," I admit. "If Clark wasn't here, I'd definitely be lost."

Lois grins back at me, slinging her purse further up her shoulder. "I bet. Smallville to save the day once again. He's like one of our residential heros, except for the super strength, speed, flying, heat vision and alien heritage. But yeah, other than that, real hero." She makes an overly dramatic sweeping gesture toward Clark's person. She grins up at him when he rolls his, pushing his thick framed black glasses further up his nose.

"Thanks for that," Clark says flatly.

Lois laughs, slapping his shoulder with her hand and I flinch. I'm not sure who that was suppose to hurt. It was loud and on Clark's arm, but he appeared unfazed whereas Lois gave her hand a little shake, subconsciously, as if she hit him harder than she anticipated. She glances over at him for a moment and when he said nothing about it, she smiles, pleased that she didn't hurt him before she walks across the street tot he other side, Clark and I following after her.

"You're going to like this place, Sam, it's neat. Smallville didn't like it at first but it grew on him, ain't that right, Smallville?" She grins, not looking back at him.

"Grew on me, just like you, Lois," Clark murmurs before glancing over to see me staring at him. He smiles secretively and winks. I can't help but smile back. God damn it, why is he so cute?

Clark was right, it was a little hole-in-the-wall. There was a small stairway leading from street level down into the building. It was dark down there but it was relatively spacious. Lois lead us over to table by the stage, but in perfect view of one of the many televisions hanging from the ceiling. There was all sorts of different channels on all the televisions, but the one that we have the best view of is of the news.

The place had a total of ten other people sitting around the other tables, one bartender on the opposite side of the room from the stage, and one waitress, who makes her way over to us as soon as we are seated. She hands us our menus, tells us the specials, and that her name was Amanda, before taking our drink order. Lois and I both get coke while Clark gets a water. Amanda smiles down at Clark before stepping away to get our drinks.

"She was giving you the once over," Lois says as soon as Amanda is out of hearing range.

Clark blinks in confusion, looking at her from over his menu, as if he was unsure if she was talking to him or not. "Who, me?"

Lois snorts. "Yeah, Smallville. She sure as hell wasn't looking at Sammy and I like we will a big hunk of man meat. If you were alone, she'd probably just jump you, right here, in the middle of the pub. I think she even licked her lips as she walked away."

I choke on air. Their relationship is so weird. I don't think I ever spoke to any of my friends like Lois does to Clark. Either that's just the type of person she is, or for some reason, poor Clark brings it out in her. Bless Clark, though, he blinks rapidly in confusion before twisting around his chair to look at the waitress who was, yes, looking right back at him. She smiles and waggles her fingers at him. He gives a little nod before turning back to Lois and frowning a bit.

"Thanks for that," he says blandly.

Lois laughs, throwing her head back. "You are so oblivious, Kent! She looked like she wanted to rip your shirt open right here and have her way with you! You wouldn't notice a girl interested in you unless she... well, ripped your shirt open and had her way with you!" Lois laughs with renewed vigor, not at all embarrassed like I was. I didn't even say anything and yet my face was on fire.

And oh my god, Clark's face was pink, even in the darkness. He brings a hand up to cover his lips and chin, looking down at his menu, trying to hide his embarrassment in the shadows cast by the dark room, but I saw it and it was the cutest thing in the world. He shakes his head slowly, blue eyes lowered to the menu but I doubt that he's really seeing it.

Lois is grinning at him when his eyes finally flicker up to her. "Please shut up," he mutters and she laughs again.

"Okay, I'm done," she says, waving her hand around before looking over at me and winks. I blink a few times in confusion. What was with that look? That wink? Was she trying to say something to me? Well, if she was, it was lost on me. I take a moment to clear my throat and try to bush down my momentary embarrassment. Clark lowers his hand as his focus is finally on the menu.

Once Amanda returns, I can tell that Clark is trying hard to not let what Lois's words influence his interaction with Amanda. He speaks evenly, and calmly, even smiling back at her when she flashes him a bright white toothed smile. Once she's got all our orders, she slips away.

"I can't believe you said that, Lois," I finally speak after a few minutes of silence.

Lois smiles at me. "Like it, right?"

I blush a bit again before pushing down the heat in my face. "You are just so..."

"Rude?" Clark guesses blandly, staring blankly at Lois when her grin moves to him. "Don't even try that with me," he says, voice flat.

"Try what?" Lois asks innocently.

Clark shakes his head. "Trying to act all cute and innocent like that. You aren't fooling anyone, Lois."

Lois feigns hurt. "But I am cute and innocent, Smallville. I'm a little insulted that you didn't even notice, not going to lie. Maybe you need to up your prescription on those things." She waves toward his glasses.

Clark rolls his eyes. "Yeah, okay." Once their banter is over, we lapse into silence once more, just listening to the sounds of the pub around us. It's then that I notice something I hadn't noticed before. Clark is sitting in such a way that he's able to see the entire pub, even the two exits. It's during this silence that I noticed it, because once again, like everywhere we go, his eyes scan the room, as if looking for something.

My skin crawls again. I take a moment to scan the room, but nothing stands out to me. I'm not even sure what he's looking for. But whatever it is, whether he found it or not, I can't tell, for he just looks back over at without even the slightest change in expression. I have no idea what he's looking for but shit, I wish he would stop doing that. It makes me feel like I'm being watched. Is this how a reporter is suppose to act? I never noticed it with Lois before, always with Clark. Or is it some kind of man thing? I don't know.

I mean, I like that he appears to be very vigilant, but still, it worries me. Maybe it's because of all the badies that show up here in Metropolis looking to duke it out with Superman and one has to be ever vigilant as to not get caught in the cross-fire, but it still is starting to make me feel paranoid. Like someone is going to bust in at any moment and attack us.

It would do wonders for my research to be able to see Superman up close and personal - well really any of the Justice League - but wherever they are, there is usually trouble not far behind and even I don't think my research is important enough to me to die over. I'll just keep with speculations rather than hands on experience, thanks.

We talked about random miscellaneous things while we waited for our food to show up. Lois was telling us about the story she just finished and Clark tells us how his mom, Martha, is doing. That he's going home the entire upcoming weekend to help her out on the family farm. I didn't really have much to say about myself, so I just mentioned some breaks in my thesis, but it wasn't anything all that interesting, but thankfully Lois and Clark are kind enough to listen to me.

We get our food, about half way through the meal, my phone starts ringing. I quickly apologize before pulling out my phone to see who it is. It's Bailey. I quickly answer it.

"Hey, Bailey?"

"Hey," Bailey says, I can hear my niece and nephew yelling and screaming in the background. "How are you doing? Are you eating?"

I laugh, she knows me so well. Back in my hometown, Bailey was the one who brought me food and made sure I was taking care of myself. It's... interesting that so much has change, and so little. "I am," I admit. "Actually I'm eating right now. I'm out with Lois and Clark at a cute pub that they brought me to. I like it here." I smile at Lois, who appears pleased.

"Your sister?" Lois asks quietly. I nod.

"How's Shawn?" I ask, using my fork to poke around at my noodles. "I haven't spoken to him since I moved. What's he been up to?"

"He's good," Bailey says. "You know him, he's always working, but he comes over more. I think he knows I'm lonely. He helps me with the kids."

I smile. "He's a good uncle."

"Yeah. I love that he's around more, so are the kids, but I miss you too. The kids do too. You were their favorite aunt," Bailey says.

I roll my eyes. "I'm their only aunt, Bailey. But thank you for that. I miss them too." I glance over at Clark and Lois, noting that they were eating in silence in an attempt to try and be polite while I'm on the phone. "Hey, Bailey, hold on, let me go step away so that Clark and Lois don't feel like they have to be quiet for us." I smile at them before standing up and walking over to the bar, sitting down. "Okay keep going."

"Well, we're all good here. You know our little hamlet, little changes around here," Bailey sighs. I wave away the bartender when he comes over to see if I need anything. "I guess that's good, though. I'm not a fan of drama."

"You and me, both," I say softly, sighing. I use my nail to scratch at the wood at the bar for a moment before asking, hesitantly, "So... have you seen Justin..? Do you know what he's up to?"

It's not like I really care. Actually all this talk from both Bailey and Lois made me worried about my future a bit. I'm almost scared that their words would be like a prelude to something scary but if he's still seen around town, there, then maybe their worries would be unfounded. When I left my hometown I didn't think there was a chance that the situation I was in, wouldn't be over.

I'm not the type of person that people are obsessed over. Like, people like me - to a degree - but not to an obsessive point. There is very little about me that is interesting and even less that people would find appealing enough to go over the top. It's the sort of thing that I would hear about on the news, girls being stalked and things of the similar likeliness. It's not something that happens to me.

But, I suppose that's what everybody says, isn't it? No one ever expects it to be them. No one expects, or even wants, anything bad to happen to them.

Not that anything bad happened to me. As I told Bailey, he did nothing illegal, he just gave me enough of the creeps to make me leave... my home, hometown and even state that I've lived in my whole life. But I wasn't lying when I told her that I was looking for a reason to leave at some point. I have lived in that town for a long time. Most my childhood and then when I was adopted again under my sister after our parents died, when she turned eighteen, I've lived there.

"Sort of," Bailey says blandly. "I see him in passing sometimes, but thankfully he's smart enough not to stop to talk to me. I think I'd punch him in his perfect nose if he did. God, I hate that guy."

A smile pulls at the corner of my lips. "I see, good. So, I was talking with Lois, and I'm not sure she's serious about it, but I'm thinking about taking some self defense classes, maybe with her, I don't know."

"Good idea!" Bailey says, surprising me. For some reason I expected her to be against the idea, because she usually is, regardless of what it is, but to hear that she is on my side, that she agrees with me, makes me think that this is a better idea than what I originally thought. Maybe I really will ask Lois if she can come with me for a self defense class. I don't plan on fighting any super villain, but it does make me feel better knowing that I have some tools to at least get myself out of situations that I don't want to be in.

"Yeah?" I say softly, smiling. "Okay, good. I'll talk to Lois about it. I'm glad that you're okay with it."

"Anything to keep you safe, sure I'd be happy about it," Bailey says, annoyed. "Why do you think I wouldn't be okay with it, huh? What kind of sister do you think I am, Sam?"

"Whoa," I say, eyebrows raised to my hairline, "I didn't mean anything by that. Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bailey sighs. "Sorry, it's not you. Hailey got her hands on some scissors and chopped her hair off. I have no idea where she found them. I am still salty over that, sorry."

"Aw," I run my fingers through my long brown hair. "Her cute blond hair?" I ask in disbelief.

"Yes!" Bailey says, exasperated. "I couldn't believe it!"

"You're breaking my heart," I joke. Bailey makes an annoyed noise and I can't help but laugh. "It's alright, Bailey, it's just hair, it'll grow back."

Bailey lets out a long winded sigh. "I know," she says, "but that doesn't mean it doesn't still make me mad." She sighs again. "Alright, Sammy, I got to go. It's been quiet for too long, I got to go see what my kids are doing. So, I'll call you again maybe sometime tonight or tomorrow."

I let out a little laugh. "Alright, sister. I'll be waiting for your call. Bye!"

"Bye," Bailey sighs before the phone hangs up.

I stand up from the bar and walk back over to Clark and Lois to see them staring at the television we have the best view of. I sit down and look over at it to see the news being interrupted. The screen is wild and sporadic, showing images that don't make sense. They look like old pictures and drawings of people. Like o It's then that I notice that the entire room is going silent as everyone's attention is being pulled to the televisions, all of which are intercepting this signal.

"League," a deep voice says on the screen. There is something strange about it. I think they have a voice modifier of some sort. His pauses are strange and unnatural. "Justice League."

The bartender turns the televisions up so that they can be heard more clearly.

"Justice League, your time has come. It has been found. It has been found. The Keeper of Earth has returned. In the dawn of the new day, the Keeper of Earth shall awaken and take back control of the power vacuum that has been shaking our world. The new day has come. Prepare for peace, the end of the League. The end of the madness. The Keeper has returned. In the eye of man, the apple waits. The Keeper will bring about the epoch. The new day has come. The end of this era is near. Your time has come and gone. The Keeper has returned."

With that, the feed is cut and the news anchor is sitting there, looking off screen, watching a television off screen. Once she realizes that they are back on the air, she turns back to the camera, a little caught off guard, whatever she was talking about before, she must have forgotten about. She looks around confused for a moment before saying something about keeping us up-to-date on what exactly that was, before going to commercial.

"What was that..?" I ask, eyebrows pulled together. I look over at Lois. She looks a little worried and unhappy, shaking her head slowly, lips pressed together tightly into a thin line. After a moment, I look over at Clark, figuring that I wasn't going to get anything more from my first friend in Metropolis, so I turn my attention to my other friend. "Clark...?"

Clark's eyes are narrowed slightly, a crease formed between his eyebrows. There is a strange fire burning in those pretty blue eyes, his jaw is clenching and unclenching.

"Clark..?" I call out softly, reaching out to lightly touch his right forearm, as he's slightly twisted around in his seat to see the television behind him. I'm hesitant to touch him, worried that he'll snap and strike out - which is a strange feeling to have when thinking about Clark! - so I touch him lightly at first. For some reason, the delicate, protective, kind aura that usually surrounds Clark perfectly is gone. He's not exuding a dangerous aura in the slightest, but he is giving off a feeling of anger, worry and protectiveness to the highest degree I have ever seen.

His body is tense now, like a snake preparing to strike out against its prey. But he's not going to strike, it's not in his body language. Everything I've seen and felt from Clark has always been protective. He has such a strong protective instinct it's hard to be able to see its fully intensity and still think of it as such. His protective instinct is so strong, seeing him as he is now, people would think he was anxious and is probably ready to smash his fist into a wall, but not me. I can see it in the way he's shifting and placing himself.

It's almost subconscious, honestly. He's almost maneuvering himself closer to the door, but not in the sense that he would be up and out of here in a moment's notice. His eyes keep flickering around the building at everyone else inside, and his head tilts toward us slightly, making note of Lois and myself. It doesn't look like he's going to run if something comes in here looking for a fight. It almost... almost looks like he's preparing to remove everyone from the building. Like he's going to try and save everyone.

I don't know if anyone doesn't like Clark, but if there is anyone out there, I can't believe it. How could anyone not like someone like that?

I said it before and I'll say it again. In the midst of this potentially scary situation, I'm really really starting to like Clark Kent.


	4. Something else

"Are you sure that you don't want me to drop by? I am free tonight," Clark says over the phone in my ear.

I reach up and touch my nicely curled hair for what feels like the thirtieth time in the last five minutes, still not used to it, before forcing myself to let my hand drop lest I mess it up and have to face the wrath of my hair stylist, Olivia. She would utterly destroy me if I messed it up. Er, again. I am almost positive that she is somewhere around the corner with the hair curler and spray waiting for me to mess up again.

"I really appreciate it, Clark," I say, smiling lightly. "But I know that you'd be bored out of your mind, and while I appreciate that you are willing to waste your Friday night on this, I won't ask you to. Thank you, though."

Clark laughs lightly. "I don't have any real issue with dropping by, Samantha, really."

I hesitate. It really would be nice to be able to see Clark again since it's been over a month since I last saw Clark and Lois at that pub and we had the weird message from... whomever it was that sent out that weird... message? Warning? I'm not sure what to call it. After everything returned to normal, none of us had the stomach to finish our meals and we just sat in silence before getting to-go boxes for the remainder of our meals and heading home. Same as last time, Clark walked Lois and I home.

But this time, Clark was watching our surroundings like a hawk as we walked home. He's on edge the entire time. While flattered and slightly alarmed by how much I like Clark, I'm worried. Deeply. Either Clark has a really strong protective instinct, which he does just more than I thought, or he's genuinely deeply concerned about what is going on. I am too, but being around Lois who is so relaxed by this has calmed me down a bit. I'm new to this entire thing. I don't know how I should react in times like this. I know there was times when our world was being threatened by aliens and even people on our own planet, but it always felt like it was happening to someone else.

Everything about those situations appeared on television, like it wasn't even real. I've never actually been near the center of anything like that. So I'm not sure how to react in a situation like this. And I have two very conflicting role models.

One is Clark, who's fired up and vigilant, watching every shifting shadow and loud noise. He puts himself in the position, in buildings or on the streets, where if something were to happen, then he would be the one caught in the cross-fire first. Somehow, this behavior doesn't surprise me.

The other is Lois. She's completely relaxed and at ease. She almost makes me feel like I dreamed that entire news broadcast, but every time I look over at Clark, I know that it happened. She would look over at me, see the anxious look on my face, and then she would slide her arm over my shoulders and bump her hip against mine and tell me not to let Clark's anxiety get to me.

"You're too kind," I say, remembering that I was still on the phone with Clark. "You'll probably miss my speech if you left your apartment now, so I don't really see the point, but I am thankful for your-" A loud crash cuts me off. I jump and turn around, scanning the hallway with my eyes. "Um..."

"Samantha?" Clark says. "What was that?"

"One second, Clark," I say, walking down the hallway toward the large reception area where my colleagues are mingling with one another. "I think someone just dropped something..."

I step around the corner to see the reception area and everyone was where I left them, but quiet, looking around in confusion. There is three loud bangs and I drop the phone, it was right at my ear. There is another door, leading from the front of the building and the entrance that connects to the slightly secluded reception room, and there was four men standing right next to me, all holding guns.

I can't hear anything other than the loud ringing. I bring my hands up to my ears and thankfully they aren't bleeding but I still can't hear. I see everyone looking around, covering their heads as they fall to the floor. I'm staggering around disoriented and before I know it, I'm on my knees. I don't know if I fell or if someone pushed me down, I just couldn't say, but somehow I ended up on my knees, and then onto my left hip.

"Ow, shit," I mutter, pulling my hands away from my ears as the ringing dies down and my hearing begins to return.

"-said get down, bitch!"

I look up in time to see a hand go flying toward my face, throwing me to the floor. The right side of my face is hot as I stare down at the tiles on the floor just inches from my face. Thankfully, my hands managed to find themselves by my chest to stop my face from smashing into the ground, so there's that. I feel tears well up in my eyes and I blink rapidly to send them away. Even in this situation, a strange calmness settles over me. They are obviously robbing us - why? I haven't a clue. Yet for some reason, I couldn't summon up any fear.

I watch as two of the four men start weaving their way through the crowd, pulling out wallets and any valuable off of everyone's person. One of the men stands by the door leading into the room and the other hovers a few feet from me, looking around anxiously. His grip on his gun is cycling between a white-knuckled grip and a relaxed one. He's twitching and looking around as if expecting someone to sneak up behind him and punch him in the gut.

Despite the situation, I could tell he was overly anxious. His eyes are scanning the crowd for something. This is more than just a robbery, I can tell. At least for him, it is. Even though his face is covered by a ski mask, just like all of them, and they are dressed in all black, baggy clothes.

"Where is he?" The man yells, eyes scanning the room. "Where are you, you son of a bitch?"

No one response. No one moves, other than the other two gunmen, still walking through the crowd, pocketing the valuables of everyone else in the room.

"Doctor Kennedy? Where are you, you son of a bitch?" the man yells, eyes scanning the crowd. He points his gun at the nearest man. "Are you Sam Kennedy? Huh, old bastard?"

The man shakes his head, cowering, while my stomach drops through the floor. I suck my lips into my mouth to stop myself from saying anything. I don't want to get into any more trouble than what is already swirling around me.

But the truth of the matter swirls around me like a maelstrom of chaos. For some strange, unfathomable reason, they are here for me. I can't even begin to rationalize what reason they would have for wanting me - especially since it looks like they are here with the intention to kill and I've never been involved in anything that needs to be taken to that extreme - but I'm not going to draw any attention to me if I can help it.

"I know you are, you fucker!" The man gets closer to the old man. "You son of a bitch!"

I close my eyes and let out a slow breath, praying that someone had the foresight to dial 9-1-1 and that the cops were on their way already and would be there to help them soon. He steps past me and up to the man, and I open my eyes in time to see him shove the gun against the old man's forehead, snarling down at him threateningly.

"I know Sam Kennedy is you, old man! Fess up!"

The man shakes his head briskly. "No, that's not me, I swear!" The old man says quickly, tears swelling in his eyes. My eyebrows pull together tightly and I rage war with myself on what to do. It's best to just mind my own business and hope that this man just backs off, believing that the old man wasn't who he was looking for and just lets it go, but I know that that probably wouldn't be the case.

Plus, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if this poor old man died and there was nothing I could do about it. That is, other than admit that I am - still for some reason I don't understand yet - the one that this man is looking for.

My eyes flicker over to Olivia. Her pale face is gray, making her freckles stand out. Her eyes lock with mine and she shakes her head slowly, as if she knew what I was going to do, but it's too late, my lips are already moving before I can chicken out.

"I am Sam Kennedy," I say a little louder than I intended and immediately regret it when I did. I press my eyes closed for a moment before I open them again to see the man staring at me with his eyebrows pulled together tightly.

"You're Samuel Kennedy?" the man asks incredulously, like I was completely insane.

"No..." I say slowly, wondering if I could just shut up and pretend that I didn't just sign my death warrant, but my eyes flicker over to the old man to see that he was sweating profusely but looking at me as if I was his savior. And with that, I knew I had to keep going. "I'm Samantha Kennedy."

"No," the man says, shaking his head. "It's suppose to be Samuel Kennedy."

"The speaker for today is me," I say, hating that I keep talking but I'm also a bit proud of myself that I am able to keep my voice calm and my heart rate steady. I'm more calm sounding - and feeling - than what I thought I would be. "I am Sam Kennedy. Please don't hurt anyone."

I've never actually dealt with someone like him before in real life, but I've spent a good portion of my life studying people just like him. He was anxious and fidgety, but he was probably one of the most dangerous. He was waving that gun around and one look in his eye and I knew he was ready to use it. He just hasn't quite found who he wants to use it on just yet. Namely me.

When speaking to him, my voice remained even and respectful. I didn't want him to think that I was talking down to him in any way. I didn't expect that I would somehow save the day in any capacity of the word, but I certainly didn't want him to shoot anybody. Not only would that stain his conscience for the rest of his life, but mine too. I don't want to be a hero, there is enough good, hard working people out there who dedicate their lives to just that. But I can't just idly sit by and let someone else be hurt in order to keep me safe. That's just not fair. Or right.

If he's focused on me and not someone innocent, then at least no one is getting hurt. At least, I hope not. Knowing my luck, if anyone gets hurt in all of this, it's going to be me.

"I don't believe you," the man says, an odd look on his face. He pulls me from my thoughts.

Someone grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet, I'm barely on my heels before they spin me around. It's another of the gunmen. He's studying my face for a moment before he starts groping my person. I push him away. "What?" I ask, stepping away from him.

"Are you really Sam Kennedy?" The man asks, narrowing his eyes, suspiciously.

I almost wanted to say no, but I couldn't. Not with the old man's life still in obvious danger.

"I am," I admit softly and it sounds like a death sentence to my ears. "What do you want from me? Why are you guys here?"

The second man lets out a long winded laugh, throwing his head back jubilantly, like this was the greatest thing in the entire world. He slings his arm over my shoulders like we're old friends and I shrink away but can't get far. I try and twist away but he pulls me closer, shaking his head as he laughs.

"This is great," the man says, through his giggles. "Wonderful, actually." He lets out another laugh before looking over at the first guy. "You are a fucking idiot. You've obviously been played. I fucking told you that the website wasn't wrong. It's a fucking chick. The person you were looking for is a dude!" He laughs again like this was just the funniest thing that has ever happened to him.

"Please let go of me," I mumble, trying to slide away from him but he turns and starts pulling me toward the door.

"This is great," the guy laughs again. "Come on, dumbshits, we got to get out of here before the cops show up, or worse. Move, now."

He pulls me along out of the reception area and into the hall, his arm around my shoulders. I struggle to keep up as my heels clack against the marble floor beneath us. I don't say anything, I can't say anything. I can't even really think. I just follow him mutely, imagining... nothing. My mind is completely blank. It somewhere in the back of my head that whispers that I might be in shock.

Over what, though? Nothing has really happened. They didn't even really wave a gun around in my face. I don't know why I'm shutting down like I am, just that I am shutting down quicker than a television with its power cord pulled out of the wall socket.

As soon as we step outside, I'm pelted with rain. I didn't even know it was raining. It wasn't raining when I arrived here a few hours ago for rehearsal. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since it's been raining a lot the last few days and has made the river between Metropolis and Gothem a monster all on it's own. I can hear it now, even over the rainfall, roaring just on the other side of the building.

"We got to get out of here," one of the guys says, jumping into a black SUV. The guy with his arm over my shoulder forces me to walk over to the railing, the roar of the river beneath me finally pulls me out of my mental slump.

"What are you doing?" I ask, trying to pull away from him. He pushes my back against the railing and I'm painfully aware of how close the river is to me. I try and pull away from him, my self-preservation instincts kicking in, finally. Shit, was it suppose to take this long? "Stop," I say, not even sure what he's doing. "Stop it! Let me go!"

"Samantha Kennedy," the man says, leaning in close. His breath washed over my face and somewhere in the back of my mind, it supplied me with the useless information that his breath smelled like breath mints, "that dumbass doesn't know anything, but I do. With you here, as you are, the Keeper is closing in. We just need to encourage it to... come out of hiding." The man grins and finally pulls away from me.

"What..?" I wanted to ask so many questions. The 'Keeper'? Is this the Keeper that video over a month ago mentioned? The one that's going to bring about this... epoch? There was so many thing whirling through my head that came to sudden stop when his hand flew toward me and pushed me hard on the chest, pushing me back against the rail behind me, the second one, harder than the first, sends me over the edge.

My stomach flips up into my throat then to my feet as I fall backwards. It felt like a second later I hit the water. The last thing I saw was bubbles and rushing water around me, before the side of my head smacked hard against something and I black out.

I feel someone touching my chest, pressing hard against it. Again. Again. Again. Something soft touches my lips. And it's warm too. I feel hot air being blown into my mouth and the water comes rushing out. I start to weakly cough. Someone turns me to the side so I can spit the water out. My head is splitting, it hurts so bad. When I open my eyes, my vision is blurry.

Looking at my savior, I immediately see Clark and my stomach blossoms with butterflies. Even though I can't really see him, the dark hair and the bright blue eyes seem to pierce through the haze.

"Clark..." I rasp, reaching out weakly to him but the way he was holding me, I could only touch his chest. The strange, rough, foreign fabric of his shirt has a design that I can actually feel. I blink a few times to try and clear up my vision. The man's face comes into better view, still blurry but I manage to look down at his chest and see the very prominent red 's'.

"No," I rasp. "Not Clark... Superman..."

Superman's handsome face doesn't shift in the slightest, but it does blur once more before disappearing completely.

 

There is a loud screeching noise and the sound of crunching metal against metal. There is a heavy jolt and a soft voice, broken and weak and little. The voice of a child.

"I don't want to leave them... my brother and sister... I don't want them to be... alone..."

There was a bright light. The warmth of love, a life, flashing before my eyes, then slipping away from me like water through my fingers. The wailing sound of sirens off in the distance. Ambulance. Police. They brought me to the hospital, poked and prodded me. Then, once I was put together again, they left me alone. I stayed in the hospital room, completely and utterly alone.

I can't do it. Not again. I can't be alone like I was before. I was always alone. Always scared. Always...

 

I open my eyes, but it doesn't really feel like it. My vision is dark and hazy. I'm in a foreign room. A hospital room, my brain supplies me with. There is a window to my left, the curtains are pulled and moonlight is pouring into the room. There is a figure standing there. He's towering, broad shoulders and tall figure. Normally, I would be terrified of a stranger, obvious built strong with the blurry curve of the muscles on his arm prominent in the silhouette.

But I don't fear this person. Something in the back of my mind, knew who this person was. His familiar protective instinct flooding into the room. He wasn't standing over me to be intimidating, but like a silent guardian.

"Clark...?" I say hoarsely, my throat raw and my head throbbing. I have to close my eyes, I can't even see anyway. "Clark...? Is that you..? I can't see you..." I let out a shaky breath. "Why can't I see?"

I feel the shadow loom over me and large, calloused hand wraps around my left on, holding it tightly. "It's the concussion, Samantha. You hit your head really hard."

"Superman, Clark..." I whisper. "He saved me..."

Clark doesn't respond right away. "I'm sorry you were hurt, Samantha. I should have been there."

I try and shake my head but I quickly learn that was a stupid ass idea. It only makes my head throb even more. "You didn't know..." I rasp. "How could you have known?"

Clark doesn't respond to that either. He just squeezes my hand tightly before pulling away. "Sleep tight, Samantha," he says softly, voice low.

"Wait," I open my eyes and try and sit up only to fall back onto the back, feeling like I was about to throw up. I take a few moments to calm down and let my spinning head settle before reaching out for Clark again. His hand slips back into mine. "Please, Clark... I know it's beating the hell out of a cliché, but can you stay with me? Just... for a few minutes, until I fall asleep? The last time I was ever in the hospital was after the accident. I was alone then, too... please don't leave me just yet. Just a few minutes... more..." My eyes slip closed and my words slur.

"I'll be right here," Clark says softly. "Just sleep."

I mumble something incoherent even to myself. The throbbing of my head began to ease as I slipped into slumber. Even as my already loose grip on his hand weakened even more, his hand stayed wrapped around mine until I could no longer feel it. It was warm and calloused and strong. It made me feel safe. Made me feel like I could be protected from just about everything.

Thankfully, after I fell asleep, I didn't dream.

 

"Are you sure you should be leaving now?" Lois says, as I walk out of the bathroom in a t-shirt and jeans that she brought for me the next day. She's got a bag with my heels and sodded dress in it, in her hand. Clark is standing next to her, holding up a pair of tennis shoes for me. I smile at him and sit down on the bed, slipping them on easily. Thankfully, Lois was willing to grab my contact case with one of my many spares before bringing my clothes to me and I was able to avoid looking at either of them before I could get my contact in.

"I'm ready to go home," I say, shaking my head. "I'm on medication, I can get the stitches taken out in a few days and I just got to change the gauze and keep the wound clean. I got it. I had the nurse going through it with me. I just want to get out of here. I hate the hospital."

Lois holds her hands up into the air, the bag crinkling with the movement before she lowers her hands again. "Fine, whatever. But for the next couple of days you're going to be staying with me."

I start shaking my head. "Lois..."

"Wait, Samantha," Clark says, cutting me off. "I actually agree with Lois. For the next couple of days you really should stay with her, just to be safe."

"No, buts," Lois says, shaking her head, when I opened my mouth to complain again. "Just come with me."

I sigh. I don't have the energy to argue with either of them. I just want to get away from the hospital and lay down. "Okay. Let's go." Besides, deep down inside, I'm relieved that I don't have to go home alone. Being back in the hospital brought back a dark, scared part of myself that I didn't know still lurked beneath the surface of my mind.

I never liked being alone. I was told that by my siblings. Even before I was hospitalized after the car accident, I just didn't like to be alone. After the accident and my stay at the hospital, I began to fear it. Especially at the hospital. When I'm at home, I'm okay. It's my home. My space. But at the hospital, it's different. So many people can come to me, yet none do. They choose for me to live in forced isolation. I hate it.

As Lois was trying to hail a taxi, Clark took a moment to look over at me.

"How are you feeling?" He asks, smiling thinly.

"I'm okay," I say, fighting the urge to rub my forehead. "My head kind of hurts."

"I'm sorry again, about yesterday," Clark says, turning his light blue eyes toward Lois who was cursing after someone who practically shoved her out of the way to get into the taxi before her.

"Clark," I say, looking up at him. "Clark," I say again until he looks down at me, "you had no way of knowing that something bad was going to happen. You can't blame yourself. Besides, you stayed with me, at the hospital, I mean. You wouldn't have been able to help me in the position I was in before then. But what I needed was something there at the hospital. I'm just glad that you were there. And thankful."

Clark doesn't respond right away. He looks back over to the street, jaw working as he battled something internally. Hesitantly, he says, "You saw Superman."

I nod. "Yeah, for a second, I accidently thought he was you. Or you were him." I rub at my jaw even though it's my temples that hurt. Fight the urge, fight the urge. "No, I think I was right, he was you."

"Why did you think that?" Clark asks slowly.

"I couldn't really see very well," I tell him honestly. He was just a figure with a head full of awesome dark hair and blue eyes that came in crystal clear. They were almost the same shade as yours, I think. I was just confused." I shake my head.

"I see..." Clark says slowly, eyes scanning the surrounding streets.

Once we are finally out of the hospital, we get a taxi to Lois's apartment. It's nice and cozy and is filled with Lois's presence. There is papers scattered all over the place and maps and all sorts of things that look like they should belong in a newsroom. There is a printer in the corner next to a fax machine and a couple of pieces of paper taped to the wall above it, but I'm too far away to be able to tell what it says. Her house wasn't messy, in fact, it was pretty neat with the exception of all the papers.

Once we walk into her apartment, it's right into a tiny hall next to the open kitchen and living room with an island to separate them on the right. On the left is a door, slightly opened to reveal a bathroom and another room next to it.

"Go ahead and lay down on my bed," Lois says, nodding to the door just beyond the bathroom. "Just lay down and rest. Kick off anything that's on it."

"Is that okay?" I ask.

She nods. "Yep, we are just going to swing by your apartment and grab some of your stuff. Clothes, laptop, stuff like that. Do you need anything in specific?"

I shake my head. "No, it's only going to be for a few days. So long as you grab my laptop and phone charger, any clothes you get for me should be fine. Thank you, Lois, Clark."

"Are you hungry?" Clark asks. "Do you want us to pick up anything to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," I say, turning away. "I just want to sleep some more. Thank you again."

"Call us if you need anything!" Lois calls after me. I smile at her over my shoulder. I wiggle my fingers at them before opening the door to see Lois's room is as I suspected. It's clean but with a few papers scattered around on the bed. I gather them up and lay them on the desk in the corner before laying down on her royal blue linens, falling sleep almost immediately.

 

"Are you sure this is okay?" Lois asks, looking over at me worried.

"You have been asking me that a lot the last twenty-four hours," I say, looking over at Lois with what I hope is a droll look on my face. "I'm okay, Lois. I want to be here with you. If what Clark says is true, then I want to see if I can help figure out what's going on."

Lois sighs, looking like she wanted to pursue this a bit more but decided against it. She turns to Clark. "So, what was the report again?"

"Superman claimed to have found Sam unconscious and not breathing on the riverbank by the time he showed up. He performed the Heimlich and then brought her to the hospital," Clark says., crossing his arms over his chest. "Something doesn't sit right with me. How did she get up onto the bank? With the way the waters were going, there is no way she could have easily just washed up there. And she's not that far from where she fell. Something's not right."

"I'm here to see if I can help," I tell them, stepping up next to Lois. "I won't be crawling down there though, so just expect an eye from the sky. Good luck."

She gives me a look before lifting one leg over the rail, and then the other, before slowly climbing her way down to the bank. Clark is right behind her with surprising ease and grace. Lois looks like she's going to topple into the water at any given moment, but Clark stays close to her, keeping a hand outstretched toward her to make sure he can grab her if something went wrong. I followed along from behind the safety of the railing.

I'm not easily traumatized, I've come to learn. Even when I was in the horrible car accident that took my parents away, I was able to get into a car as soon as I left the hospital a few weeks later. I didn't have any problems what so ever. Trauma doesn't stick to me easily, I suppose. Even now, looking over at where I had fallen, I felt nothing. I wasn't scared of heights now because of this nor was I scared of water. It was like, it happened to me and now I'm over it.

I feel like that should be wrong. I should feel something more than that. I'm scare of that man. I don't want to ever see him again. I'm scared to face my colleagues about what happened. I'm also scared that whatever is going on with Justin isn't the major part of my problems. I'm also worried about that man. He said something, I know he did, right before he pushed me over the rail, but I just don't remember what it was. I think... I think I may have been in shock. I just hope that it comes back to me soon.

Clark stays close to Lois as they head toward where I was said to have been found the day before. I walk along behind the safety of the railing, watching as Clark kept his hand poised just inches away from Lois to be able to reach out and grab her at a second's notice should she start to fall over.

"Shit," Lois mutters to herself until she finally makes it to a patch of sand that is said to be where I washed up. Her and Clark split up at start looking. I reach up and start lightly touching the stark white bandages around my head. I've never had a more itchy head until now that I can't touch it until the wrapping is taken off. It's such a bother.

That's when I spot something in the mud, next to Lois and the water. I can tell, from where they are, that it could easily be missed, but from my angle, it was perfectly clear. Right next to Lois was a prominent handprint. There was six fingers, one sprouting from where the heel of the palm should be and the palm is larger than Clark is tall.

It's at that moment that I understood. Superman really wasn't the one who pulled me from the water. It was something else entirely. Something alien even to aliens.


End file.
